The Casketeers

Maori funeral directors Francis and Kaiora Tipene and staff temper good humor with care and respect as they help Polynesian families cope with loss.

Genre: Documentary

Cast:Kaiora Tipene , Francis Tipene

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ Episode #2.1

Mon, Jan 14, 2019

Francis has new staff and a fresh new outlook on life. A whanau spend the night in the chapel and a WW1 veteran needs to be removed from his grave and taken home.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Episode #2.2

Mon, Jan 21, 2019

The funeral home needs renovating and Francis is the man for the job. Nona showcases her skills as a celebrant but Francis is nervous to officiate the funeral of a delicate death.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ Episode #2.3

Mon, Jan 28, 2019

A respected kaumatua (elder) passes away and is flown in from Dunedin and Kaiora supports Scotty through a traumatic funeral he must direct.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ Episode #2.4

Mon, Feb 4, 2019

Francis has new staff member, Fehe, assist him for the first time and a young Fijian woman's funeral honours the inspiring performer that she was.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ Episode #2.5

Mon, Feb 11, 2019

Francis deals beautifully with the dead, but is struggling to keep things alive at the funeral home. A grieving widow queries her husband's appearance and a staff member suffers great personal loss.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ Episode #2.6

Mon, Feb 18, 2019

Nona cares for a Niuean man who dies suddenly and the death of an overweight man spurs Francis to find new, healthy ways to team build with his staff.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ Episode #2.7

Mon, Feb 25, 2019

Francis wants to take funerals to the future, but he's having trouble convincing others to come along for the ride. A case Francis hasn't seen before requires special attention from the embalmer.

8Season 2

S2.E8 ∙ Episode #2.8

Mon, Mar 4, 2019

Season Finale: A bad van purchase comes back to haunt Kai but Francis promises this time will be different. Fehe directs her first Tongan funeral on her own and an emotional tangi (funeral) proves that animals grieve too.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ Episode #3.1

Sun, Jan 5, 2020

Husband and wife team Francis and Kaiora Tipene juggle the newest member of their team as they care for a well loved sportsman who dies suddenly, and a brave father arranging his own funeral.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ Episode #3.2

Sun, Jan 12, 2020

Francis plans his biggest surprise yet for Kaiora for their wedding anniversary. Kaiora arranges a special funeral with a procession of Harleys, and a young man's life ends tragically.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ Episode #3.3

Sun, Jan 19, 2020

Francis and Kaiora take a road trip to his home marae, and we are gifted a rare glimpse of the three day tangihanga process as his dear Aunty is laid to rest.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ Episode #3.4

Sun, Jan 26, 2020

Kaiora is confronted by a very special case, and a Returned Serviceman receives a gun salute at his funeral. Meanwhile, Francis is obsessed with the chapel reaching new heights of perfection.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ Episode #3.5

Sun, Feb 2, 2020

Nona convinces the staff to try zumba for a good cause. Meanwhile, an elderly woman delays her own funeral, and Francis is surprised by a glamorous family breaking traditions on the marae.

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Episode #3.6

Sun, Feb 9, 2020

Francis grapples with who is his number one amongst the staff. A beloved mother passes away at home, and one of Francis' cousins says goodbye to the neighbour who raised her as her own.

7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ Episode #3.7

Sun, Feb 16, 2020

Nona farewells a close family member and the youngest daughter of ten organises her father's funeral. Meanwhile, Francis goes to great lengths to tidy the messiest office, in his opinion.

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ Episode #3.8

Sun, Feb 23, 2020

Francis tries to introduce healthy work practices but gets in way over his head. A woman returns home to one of the most sacred mountains in Maoridom, and Denise helps a family farewell their father.

1Season 4

S4.E1 ∙ Episode #4.1

Mon, Mar 15, 2021

Francis and Kaiora navigate the difficulties of supporting grieving whanau during COVID-19 while operating under strict guidelines.

2Season 4

S4.E2 ∙ Episode #4.2

Mon, Mar 22, 2021

With Tipene Funerals storing bodies during COVID-19, Francis goes on a shopping spree to decorate the freezer and the loss of a young mother resonates through her community.

3Season 4

S4.E3 ∙ Episode #4.3

Mon, Mar 29, 2021

Francis instigates an unusual team building exercise and Nona directs the emotional funeral of a family friend.

4Season 4

S4.E4 ∙ Episode #4.4

Mon, Apr 5, 2021

The death of a young teenager hits home for the Tipenes, and a Kaiora upgrades one of Francis' favourite toys.

5Season 4

S4.E5 ∙ Episode #4.5

Mon, Apr 19, 2021

Francis considers and unusual was of celebrating his Tongan whakapapa, and Jay deals with the emotional toll of embalming a three month old pepi.

6Season 4

S4.E6 ∙ Episode #4.6

Mon, Apr 26, 2021

The Tipene whanau go to Queenstown for the school holdiays but Francis is anxious about some of the activities Kaiora has organised. He's afraid of heights and starts to contemplate his mortality.

7Season 4

S4.E7 ∙ Episode #4.7

Mon, May 3, 2021

The staff pull together to farewell a man with no family and Francis and Kaiora take a leap of faith, opening a new branch in Porirua.

8Season 4

S4.E8 ∙ Episode #4.8

Mon, May 10, 2021

The team of Tipene funerals go head to head in a ten pin bowling match, but rivalries are set aside to care for a special kaumatua.